Choose the Invocation Name for a Custom Skill

Users say a skill's invocation name to begin an interaction with a particular custom skill. For example, if the invocation name is "Daily Horoscopes", users can say:

User: Alexa, ask Daily Horoscopes for the horoscope for Gemini

You can change your invocation name at any time while developing a skill. You cannot change the invocation name after a skill is certified and published.

Note that the invocation name is only needed for custom skills. If you are using a pre-built model, users do not need to use an invocation name for the skill. For more about the different types of skills you can create, see Understand the Different Skill Models.

Users say a skill's invocation name to begin an interaction with a particular custom skill. For example, if the invocation name is "signe astrologique", users can say:

User: Alexa, demande à signe astrologique l'horoscope des verseaux

You can change your invocation name at any time while developing a skill. You cannot change the invocation name after a skill is certified and published.

Users say a skill's invocation name to begin an interaction with a particular custom skill. For example, if the invocation name is "Tageshoroskop", users can say:

User: Alexa, frage Tageshoroskop nach dem Horoskop für Fische

You can change your invocation name at any time while developing a skill. You cannot change the invocation name after a skill is certified and published.

Note that the invocation name is only needed for custom skills. If you are using a pre-built model, users do not need to use an invocation name for the skill. For more about the different types of skills you can create, see Understand the Different Skill Models.

Users say a skill's invocation name to begin an interaction with a particular custom skill. For example, if the invocation name is "Oroscopo del Giorno", users can say:

User: Alexa, domanda a Oroscopo del Giorno l'oroscopo dei Gemelli

You can change your invocation name at any time while developing a skill. You cannot change the invocation name after a skill is certified and published.

Note that the invocation name is only needed for custom skills. If you are using a pre-built model, users do not need to use an invocation name for the skill. For more about the different types of skills you can create, see Understand the Different Skill Models.

You can change your invocation name at any time while developing a skill. You cannot change the invocation name after a skill is certified and published.

Note that the invocation name is only needed for custom skills. If you are using a pre-built model, users do not need to use an invocation name for the skill. For more about the different types of skills you can create, see Understand the Different Skill Models.

Users say a skill's invocation name to begin an interaction with a particular custom skill. For example, if the invocation name is "Horóscopo Diario", users can say:

You can change your invocation name at any time while developing a skill. You cannot change the invocation name after a skill is certified and published.

Note that the invocation name is only needed for custom skills. If you are using a pre-built model, users do not need to use an invocation name for the skill. For more about the different types of skills you can create, see Understand the Different Skill Models.

Invocation Name Requirements

The skill invocation name must not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of an entity or person. For more information about intellectual property policies, see Policy Testing for an Alexa Skill.

One-word invocation names are not allowed, unless:

The invocation name is unique to your brand/intellectual property, or

(German skills only) The invocation name is a compound of two or more words. In this case, the word must form an actual word in the skill's language to ensure that Alexa can recognize it.

The invocation name must not contain any of the Alexa skill launch phrases and connecting words. Launch phrase examples include "launch", "ask", "tell", "load", "begin", and "enable". Connecting word examples include "to", "from", "by", "if", "and", "whether". See Understanding How Users Invoke Custom Skills for a complete list of skill launch phrases and connecting words.

The invocation name must not contain the wake words "Alexa", "Amazon", "Echo", or the words "skill" or "app".

The invocation name must contain only lower-case alphabetic characters, spaces between words, possessive apostrophes (for example, "sam's science trivia"), or periods used in abbreviations (for example, "a. b. c."). Other characters like numbers must be spelled out. For example, "twenty one". The name must be easy to pronounce correctly and be phonetically distinct to avoid being misinterpreted as other similar sounding words. For acronyms, the invocation name must contain single letters, each followed by a period and a space. The invocation name cannot spell out phonemes. For example, a skill titled "USC Trivia" would need "USC" represented as "u. s. c. " and NOT "you ess see".

The invocation name must not create confusion with existing Alexa features. If your skill invocations overlap with common Alexa commands, users may get confused by Alexa's response and not enable your skill. For example, if your invocation name is too similar to the built-in "weather" command, Alexa may sometimes respond with your skill and sometimes respond with the built-in weather feature, providing an inconsistent user experience.

The invocation name must be written in each language you choose to support. For example, the German version of your skill must have an invocation name written in German (although including English words is acceptable), while the English (US) version must have an invocation name written in English. Note that this requirement does not apply to proper nouns like names and places in other languages.

An invocation name must meet the following requirements:

The skill invocation name must not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of an entity or person. For more information about intellectual property policies, see Policy Testing for an Alexa Skill.

One-word invocation names are not allowed, unless:

The invocation name is unique to your brand/intellectual property, or

(German skills only) The invocation name is a compound of two or more words. In this case, the word must form an actual word in the skill's language to ensure that Alexa can recognize it.

The invocation name must not contain any of the Alexa skill launch phrases. Launch phrase examples include "ouvre", "lance", "démarre", "joue", "commence", and "active". See Understanding How Users Invoke Custom Skills for a complete list of skill launch phrases.

The invocation name must not contain the wake words "Alexa", "Amazon", "Echo", or the words "skill" or "app".

The invocation name must contain only lower-case alphabetic characters, spaces between words, or periods used in abbreviations (for example, "a. b. c. "). Other characters like numbers must be spelled out. For example, "vingt et un". The name must be easy to pronounce correctly and be phonetically distinct to avoid being misinterpreted as other similar sounding words. For acronyms, the invocation name must contain single letters, each followed by a period and a space. The invocation name cannot spell out phonemes. For example, a skill titled "Quiz ABC" would need "ABC" represented as "a. b. c. " and NOT "a bé cé".

The invocation name must not create confusion with existing Alexa features. If your skill invocations overlap with common Alexa commands, users may get confused by Alexa's response and not enable your skill. For example, if your invocation name is too similar to the built-in "météo" command, Alexa may sometimes respond with your skill and sometimes respond with the built-in weather feature, providing an inconsistent user experience.

The invocation name must be written in each language you choose to support. For example, the German version of your skill must have an invocation name written in German (although including English words is acceptable), while the English (US) version must have an invocation name written in English. Note that this requirement does not apply to proper nouns like names and places in other languages.

An invocation name must meet the following requirements:

The skill invocation name must not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of an entity or person. For more information about intellectual property policies, see Policy Testing for an Alexa Skill.

One-word invocation names are not allowed, unless:

The invocation name is unique to your brand/intellectual property, or

(German skills only) The invocation name is a compound of two or more words. In this case, the word must form an actual word in the skill's language to ensure that Alexa can recognize it. The decomposition of German compounds into several components should be avoided, e.g. "radioplayer", NOT "radio player". In the case of a compound noun, the use of prepositions is not allowed, e.g. "zuschlag", "fürsprecher".

Invocation names which are names of people or places (for example, "Moritz", "Lukas", "Bremen") are not allowed, unless they contain other words in addition to the name (for example, "Annikas Horoskop", "Bremerhaven Stadtführer").

Two-word invocation names are not allowed if one of the words is a definite article ("der", "die", "das"), indefinite article ("ein", "eine") or preposition ("für", "bei", "an"). For example, "ein Fenster", "das Bild", "für Elise", "aus Spaß". If the invocation name has more than two words, the above-mentioned words can be used.

The invocation name must not contain any of the Alexa skill launch phrases and connecting words. Launch phrase examples include "öffne", "frage", "sage", "lade", "beginne", and "aktiviere". Connecting word examples include "nach", "ob", "und". Launch phrases and connecting words are also to be avoided as part of a compound noun, e.g. "videospiele". Only derivatives of launch phrases are acceptable as invocation names, e.g. "jasager", "plattenspieler", "deutschland fragt". See Understanding How Users Invoke Custom Skills for a complete list of skill launch phrases and connecting words.

The invocation name must not contain the wake words "Alexa", "Amazon", "Echo", or the words "skill" or "app".

The invocation name must contain only lower-case alphabetic characters, spaces between words, possessive apostrophes (for example, "Sophia's Pizza"), or periods used in abbreviations (for example, "a. b. c."). Other characters like numbers must be spelled out. For example, "neunzehn". The name must be easy to pronounce correctly and be phonetically distinct to avoid being misinterpreted as other similar sounding words. For acronyms, the invocation name must contain single letters, each followed by a period and a space. The invocation name cannot spell out phonemes. For example, a skill titled "MFG Trivia" would need "MFG" represented as "m. f. g. " and NOT "em eff ge".

If an invocation name is a compound word, it is usually also treated and written as such, e.g.:

Incorrect: wörter buch

Correct: wörterbuch

This also applies to loan words:

Incorrect: englisch trainer

Correct: englischtrainer

As well as nominalized verbs:

Incorrect: lieder raten

Correct: liederraten

Exceptions are:

a. foreign language compounds, these are treated according to the composition rules of the origin language:

Incorrect: manyland

Correct: many land

b. Compounds containing numbers or abbreviations are separated from the rest of the word by a space:

The invocation name must not create confusion with existing Alexa features. If your skill invocations overlap with common Alexa commands, users may get confused by Alexa's response and not enable your skill. For example, if your invocation name is too similar to the built-in "Wetter" command, Alexa may sometimes respond with your skill and sometimes respond with the built-in weather feature, providing an inconsistent user experience.

The invocation name must be written in each language you choose to support. For example, the German version of your skill must have an invocation name written in German (although including English words is acceptable), while the English (US) version must have an invocation name written in English. Note that this requirement does not apply to proper nouns like names and places in other languages.

An invocation name must meet the following requirements:

The skill invocation name must not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of an entity or person. For more information about intellectual property policies, see Policy Testing for an Alexa Skill.

One-word invocation names are not allowed, unless:

The invocation name is unique to your brand/intellectual property, or

(German skills only) The invocation name is a compound of two or more words. In this case, the word must form an actual word in the skill's language to ensure that Alexa can recognize it.

The invocation name must not contain any of the Alexa skill launch phrases and connecting words. Launch phrase examples include "lancia", "avvia", "apri", "chiedi" and "domanda". Connecting word examples include "e", "per", "di". See Understanding How Users Invoke Custom Skills for a complete list of skill launch phrases and connecting words.

The invocation name must not contain the wake words "Alexa", "Amazon", "Echo", or the words "skill" or "app".

The invocation name must contain only lower-case alphabetic characters, spaces between words or periods used in abbreviations (for example, "a. b. c."). Other characters like numbers must be spelled out. For example, "ventuno". The name must be easy to pronounce correctly and be phonetically distinct to avoid being misinterpreted as other similar sounding words. For acronyms, the invocation name must contain single letters, each followed by a period and a space. The invocation name cannot spell out phonemes. For example, a skill titled "Quiz ABC" would need "ABC" represented as "a. b. c." and NOT "a bi ci".

The invocation name must not create confusion with existing Alexa features. If your skill invocations overlap with common Alexa commands, users may get confused by Alexa's response and not enable your skill. For example, if your invocation name is too similar to the built-in "tempo" command, Alexa may sometimes respond with your skill and sometimes respond with the built-in weather feature, providing an inconsistent user experience.

The invocation name must be written in each language you choose to support. For example, the Italian version of your skill must have an invocation name written in Italian (although including English words is acceptable), while the English (US) version must have an invocation name written in English. Note that this requirement does not apply to proper nouns like names and places in other languages.

The skill invocation name must not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of an entity or person. For more information about intellectual property policies, see Policy Testing for an Alexa Skill.

One-word invocation names are not allowed, unless:

The invocation name is unique to your brand/intellectual property, or

(German skills only) The invocation name is a compound of two or more words. In this case, the word must form an actual word in the skill's language to ensure that Alexa can recognize it.

The invocation name must not contain the wake words "Alexa", "Amazon", "Echo", or the words "skill" o "aplicación".

The invocation name must contain only lower-case alphabetic characters, spaces between words, or periods used in abbreviations (for example, "c. n. n."). Other characters like numbers must be spelled out. For example, "viente y ocho". The name must be easy to pronounce correctly and be phonetically distinct to avoid being misinterpreted as other similar sounding words. For acronyms, the invocation name must contain single letters, each followed by a period and a space. The invocation name cannot spell out phonemes. For example, a skill titled "Trivia del RAE" would need "RAE" represented as "r. a. e. " and NOT "erre ah eh".

The invocation name must not create confusion with existing Alexa features. If your skill invocations overlap with common Alexa commands, users may get confused by Alexa's response and not enable your skill. For example, if your invocation name is too similar to the built-in "tiempo" command, Alexa may sometimes respond with your skill and sometimes respond with the built-in weather feature, providing an inconsistent user experience.

The invocation name must be written in each language you choose to support. For example, the German version of your skill must have an invocation name written in German (although including English words is acceptable), while the English (US) version must have an invocation name written in English. Note that this requirement does not apply to proper nouns like names and places in other languages.

An invocation name must meet the following requirements:

The skill invocation name must not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of an entity or person. For more information about intellectual property policies, see Policy Testing for an Alexa Skill.

One-word invocation names are not allowed, unless:

The invocation name is unique to your brand/intellectual property, or

(German skills only) The invocation name is a compound of two or more words. In this case, the word must form an actual word in the skill's language to ensure that Alexa can recognize it.

Invocation names which are names of people or places (for example, "paulina", "acapulco") are not allowed, unless they contain other words in addition to the name (for example, "horóscopo de paulina").

The invocation name must not contain the wake words "Alexa", "Amazon", "Echo", or the words "skill", "habilidad", "app" or "aplicación".

The invocation name must contain only lower-case alphabetic characters, spaces between words, or periods used in abbreviations (for example, "c. n. n."). Other characters like numbers must be spelled out. For example, "cuarenta y ocho". The name must be easy to pronounce correctly and be phonetically distinct to avoid being misinterpreted as other similar sounding words. For acronyms, the invocation name must contain single letters, each followed by a period and a space. The invocation name cannot spell out phonemes. For example, a skill titled "Trivia del RAE" would need "RAE" represented as "r. a. e. " and NOT "erre ah eh".

The invocation name must not create confusion with existing Alexa features. If your skill invocations overlap with common Alexa commands, users may get confused by Alexa's response and not enable your skill. For example, if your invocation name is too similar to the built-in "tiempo" command, Alexa may sometimes respond with your skill and sometimes respond with the built-in weather feature, providing an inconsistent user experience.

The invocation name must be written in each language you choose to support. For example, the German version of your skill must have an invocation name written in German (although including English words is acceptable), while the English (US) version must have an invocation name written in English. Note that this requirement does not apply to proper nouns like names and places in other languages.

Additional Recommendations

The following recommendations are not required, but will provide users with a better experience:

The skill invocation name should be specific to the functionality of the skill, unless the invocation name is unique to your brand or intellectual property (for example, "uber", "dominos"). One way to achieve relevance is to qualify the invocation name with something that describes the skill's functionality or something relevant to your company or developer name. For example, "boston transit", "cricket trivia", "math tutor", "magic eight ball", "baby stats", "tim's jokes".

The invocation name should also fit smoothly with at least one of the Alexa skill launch phrases (for example, "launch", "ask", "tell", "load", "begin") to allow customers to naturally invoke the skill.

The following recommendations are not required, but will provide users with a better experience:

The skill invocation name should be specific to the functionality of the skill, unless the invocation name is unique to your brand or intellectual property (for example, "uber", "dominos"). One way to achieve relevance is to qualify the invocation name with something that describes the skill's functionality or something relevant to your company or developer name. For example, "vélo paris", "radio meuh", "boule magique", "blague du jour", "citations célèbres", "assistant de voyage".

The invocation name should also fit smoothly with at least one of the Alexa skill launch phrases (for example, "lance", "demande à", "dis", "ouvre") to allow customers to naturally invoke the skill.

The following recommendations are not required, but will provide users with a better experience:

The skill invocation name should be specific to the functionality of the skill, unless the invocation name is unique to your brand or intellectual property (for example, "uber", "dominos"). One way to achieve relevance is to qualify the invocation name with something that describes the skill's functionality or something relevant to your company or developer name. For example, "Kartentricks", "Obst Analyse", "Party Small-Talk", "Kreuzfahrtrouten", "Witze von Laura", "Geschenkideen".

The invocation name should also fit smoothly with at least one of the Alexa skill launch phrases (for example, "starte", "öffne", "beginne", "lade", "frage … ab") to allow customers to naturally invoke the skill.

The following recommendations are not required, but will provide users with a better experience:

The skill invocation name should be specific to the functionality of the skill, unless the invocation name is unique to your brand or intellectual property (for example, "uber", "dominos"). One way to achieve relevance is to qualify the invocation name with something that describes the skill's functionality or something relevant to your company or developer name. For example, "trasporto di roma", "cultura generale", "palla magica", "battuta del giorno", "citazioni celebri", "assistente di viaggio".

The invocation name should also fit smoothly with at least one of the Alexa skill launch phrases (for example, "lancia", "domanda a, "chiedi a", "avvia", "apri") to allow customers to naturally invoke the skill.

The following recommendations are not required, but will provide users with a better experience:

The skill invocation name should be specific to the functionality of the skill, unless the invocation name is unique to your brand or intellectual property (for example, "uber", "telepizza"). One way to achieve relevance is to qualify the invocation name with something that describes the skill's functionality or something relevant to your company or developer name. For example, "transporte santander", "adivina adivina", "tutor de matemáticas", "ruleta de la fortuna", "medida del bebé", "chistes de juan".

The invocation name should also fit smoothly with at least one of the Alexa skill launch phrases (for example, "lanza", "pídele a", "dile a", "empieza") to allow customers to naturally invoke the skill.

The following recommendations are not required, but will provide users with a better experience:

The skill invocation name should be specific to the functionality of the skill, unless the invocation name is unique to your brand or intellectual property (for example, "uber", "banco azteca"). One way to achieve relevance is to qualify the invocation name with something that describes the skill's functionality or something relevant to your company or developer name. For example, "metro c. d. m. x.", "adivina adivina", "tutor de matemáticas", "ruleta de la fortuna", "frases de motivación", "chistes de chespirito".

The invocation name should also fit smoothly with at least one of the Alexa skill launch phrases (for example, "lanza", "pídele a", "pregunta a", "empieza", "abre") to allow customers to naturally invoke the skill.

Testing Your Invocation Name

Plan on spending some time testing your invocation name once you have an initial version of your service up and running. When testing with an Alexa-enabled device, you can see how Alexa interpreted your invocation name by reviewing the history in the Amazon Alexa App (in the app, navigate to Settings and then History).

Plan on spending some time testing your invocation name once you have an initial version of your service up and running. When testing with an Alexa-enabled device, you can see how Alexa interpreted your invocation name by reviewing the history in the Amazon Alexa App (in the app, navigate to Paramètres and then Historique).

Plan on spending some time testing your invocation name once you have an initial version of your service up and running. When testing with an Alexa-enabled device, you can see how Alexa interpreted your invocation name by reviewing the history in the Amazon Alexa App (in the app, navigate to Settings and then History).

Plan on spending some time testing your invocation name once you have an initial version of your service up and running. When testing with an Alexa-enabled device, you can see how Alexa interpreted your invocation name by reviewing the history in the Amazon Alexa App (in the app, navigate to Settings and then History).

Plan on spending some time testing your invocation name once you have an initial version of your service up and running. When testing with an Alexa-enabled device, you can see how Alexa interpreted your invocation name by reviewing the history in the Amazon Alexa App (in the app, navigate to Ajustes and then Historial).

Plan on spending some time testing your invocation name once you have an initial version of your service up and running. When testing with an Alexa-enabled device, you can see how Alexa interpreted your invocation name by reviewing the history in the Amazon Alexa App (in the app, navigate to Configuración and then Historial).